Salem, OR

About Salem

• • Beverly Cleary, the beloved children's author, was born in McMinnville, near Salem.
• • Willamette University, the oldest university in the West, was founded in Salem.
• • Its central location on the Willamette River solidified Salem as a trading hub.
• • Deepwood Estate's formal gardens feature a rare Queen Anne-style Victorian home.
• • The Great Willamette Valley Flood of 1861 dramatically reshaped the city's landscape.
• • Salem, meaning "peace" in Hebrew, was established in 1842 and incorporated in 1857.
• • With over 177,000 people, Salem's population is smaller than Portland's.
• • Resting at 154 feet above sea level, Salem is only slightly elevated.
• • Government, healthcare, and agriculture are key sectors of Salem's economy.
• • A peaceful, yet bustling atmosphere fills Salem, a blend of nature and progress.
• • The Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon's only NBA team, are located an hour away.
• • Steve Prefontaine set records at nearby Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
• • The Willamette Valley's soil is largely derived from Missoula Flood deposits.
• • Silver Falls State Park, featuring ten waterfalls, lies less than an hour from the city.
• • The Willamette River flows north through the city.
• • Northwestern salamanders are common amphibians in the forests surrounding the city.
• • Oregon white oak trees are a common species in the valley.
• • The Kalapuya people inhabited the area for thousands of years before European settlement.
• • In 1862, a major flood inundated the city.
• • The Oregon State Capitol, featuring a gold-leaf Oregon Pioneer statue, was completed in 1938.
• • Interstate 5 runs north-south through the city.

Artists From Salem

Songs About Salem

Nearby Places